No Question About That - a Manchester United podcast

#1031 | Ed and Adam talk about United's move for Carlos Baleba, a deal likely to land in excess of £65 million. It’s the right profile for United, even if Baleba’s poor season last year presents a risk. He's a front-foot, ground-covering midfielder that should combine well with United’s other midfielders and solve some specific problems.

The deal takes United's spend on midfielders this summer to around £150 million across Tielemans, Santos and Baleba. It’s a strong midfield rebuild even if United are still a bit short elsewhere. Left-back remains the outstanding piece of business before the window closes.

The pod closes with a preview of Hull away this weekend as United look for a strong start to the new season.

0:00 Introduction

1:42 Baleba: role and player profile

6:19 Midfield pairings

11:10 Pressing, transitions and defensive cover

12:55 Left-back hunt

15:04 Deal timing and transfer strategy

21:54 Rating the midfield rebuild

31:46 Zirkzee and Rashford: squad business

36:07 Hull preview and Championship finances

45:30 Predicted line-up and sign-off

If you are interested in supporting the show and accessing a weekly exclusive bonus episode, check out our Patreon page or subscribe on Apple Podcasts. Supporter funded episodes are ad-free. NQAT is available on all podcast apps and in video on YouTube. Hit that subscribe button, leave a rating and write a review on Apple or Spotify.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

#1030 | Ed and Wayne are back for the season preview after a mixed pre-season: two wins from six and a 4-2 defeat to Milan in the last match. Neither is panicking about that result specifically, but it exposed problems that were already there. The defence is the biggest concern. Luke Shaw and Harry Maguire remain first choice and neither has the legs for a higher, more front-foot approach, while Lisandro Martinez and Matthijs de Ligt can't be relied on for fitness. Ayden Heaven and Leny Yoro have the potential to solve those problems but it’s a big ask for two young players.

There’s a different problem in midfield: plenty of technical quality in Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans, not enough physicality to handle the games that get scrappy.

United need two more signings before deadline day, a genuine upgrade at left-back and a proper ball-winner in midfield, to have a real shot at matching last season's third-place finish. Without them, expect some regression with a much busier schedule.

They finish with a run through the rest of the league: Arsenal have strengthened again, Liverpool are an interesting watch under Iraola with the Bezos ownership question in the background, Spurs have spent big, and nobody fancies predicting what Chelsea will do.

0:00 Six games, one freak-out
1:50 A disjointed pre-season
9:44 Shaw and Maguire: the defensive issue
15:09 Carrick's tactical direction
17:33 Midfield's missing ball-winner
27:28 Lacey: keep or loan?
34:33 Dorgu, Sesko and Zirkzee
40:31 What United need before deadline day
51:17 Rivals: Arsenal
54:07 Rivals: City after Guardiola
1:00:06 Rivals: Liverpool and Iraola's scalability
1:04:04 Bezos, Liverpool and the TV deal
1:11:37 Rivals: Spurs
1:14:23 Rivals: Newcastle
1:15:53 Rivals: Chelsea
1:18:00 Wrap-up

If you are interested in supporting the show and accessing a weekly exclusive bonus episode, check out our Patreon page or subscribe on Apple Podcasts. Supporter funded episodes are ad-free. NQAT is available on all podcast apps and in video on YouTube. Hit that subscribe button, leave a rating and write a review on Apple or Spotify.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

#1029 | A manager out, a manager in, and a word the club would very much like everyone to start using? Ed talks to Andy Slater of the Barmy Article fanzine about Marc Skinner's exit and Eva Olid's arrival at United Women.

What's Skinner's legacy after 5 years? A first major trophy in the 2024 FA Cup, four cup finals and a Champions League quarter-final, all on roughly the fourth biggest budget in the league. Also plan A football with no plan B, and a personality that split the fanbase down the middle.

Olid arrives with just four weeks until kick-off, fresh from a first-ever SWPL title at Hearts. Catalan coaching philosophy, five years in Scotland, and a record of developing young players on a small budget. A strong profile, or a job description written by United's finance department?

Then to the summer market. Melvine Malard to Chelsea for a club-record fee, Galton, Turner, Blundell, Naalsund and George all gone, Medina and Leitzig in. The club's briefing is sustainability.

Finally the academy, where Layla Drury, Jessica Anderson and Scarlett Hill have all signed professional terms. United start the season away at London City Lionesses on 4 September, with Mary Earps in goal.

00:00 Introduction

01:49 Revisiting the Skinner Era

04:56 Recruitment and Budget

08:41 Eva Olid: United's New Manager

11:44 Departures and Transfer Window

17:08 Sustainable Strategy

22:15 Academy and Youth Players

26:44 Season Expectations

30:46 Opening WSL Game vs London City

If you are interested in supporting the show and accessing a weekly exclusive bonus episode, check out our Patreon page or subscribe on Apple Podcasts. Supporter funded episodes are ad-free. NQAT is available on all podcast apps and in video on YouTube. Hit that subscribe button, leave a rating and write a review on Apple or Spotify.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

#1028 | A new head coach, a new fan zone, and a transfer market on hold? Ed and Wayne talk about United's new Women's team coach, Eva Olid, who has joined after Marc Skinner's exit. What is Skinner's legacy after 5 years at the club? He achieved Champions League qualification and won the FA Cup, despite restrictions on the club's budget. And yet, there won't be too many tears shed for a manager who rubbed a lot of players and fans up the wrong way with his personality.

Olid arrives on a deal to June 2028, fresh from a first-ever SWPL title at Hearts last season. Her record with young players inside a small budget is a strong coaching profile but it also sounds like a job description written by United's finance department.

Then on to the club's relationship with fans. The new Paddock fan zone will welcome 1,300 fans just behind the Stretford End, opening in the autumn subject to planning approval. Is this cynical profiteering by the club or an attempt to boost the match day atmosphere? At a time when the club feels like it's at war with fans, there's been a mixed reaction.

Finally, the transfer market, in which United appear to be moving very slowly. Youri Tielemans was announced three weeks ago now. Are there any more to come?

0:00 Intro

2:03 Women's Team: Eva Oli Replaces Mark Skinner

20:52 Fan Zone & Matchday Atmosphere

28:15 Transfer Market: Preseason & Mason Mount

37:46 Midfield Reinforcements & the Real Madrid Domino

47:03 Wrap-Up & Outro

If you are interested in supporting the show and accessing a weekly exclusive bonus episode, check out our Patreon page or subscribe on Apple Podcasts. Supporter funded episodes are ad-free. NQAT is available on all podcast apps and in video on YouTube. Hit that subscribe button, leave a rating and write a review on Apple or Spotify.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

#1027 | Ed and Dom pull three stories into one. FIFA wants to privatise itself, United want fewer season ticket holders and £100m no longer seems like a lot of money in the transfer market.

Gianni Infantino's plan was to privatise FIFA's commercial entity and sell a stake to private equity. If he gets his way we'll see World Cups and Club World Cups every summer.

Old Trafford's crackdown on season ticket holders is part of the same movement. United are cancelling season tickets over what the club calls touting. Fans say it's nonsense. Fewer season ticket holders, and dynamic pricing on the way?

Meanwhile, Chelsea have spent £117m on Morgan Rogers while operating under a UEFA settlement. Spurs have blown £185 million on two midfielders. City are lining up another £100 million midfielder they may loan out. United have done very little.

Kids on the way out? Harry Amass and Radek Vitek are reportedly available for sale.

Four friendlies remain: Atlético Madrid, PSG, Leeds and Milan. World Cup players are filtering back slowly. Is a third midfielder, left-back, or forward on the way in?

A short chat about United's kits closes out the the pod.

00:00 Introduction and Preseason Recap
10:11 Transfer Priorities and Squad Needs
14:46 Youth Academy Player Sales
24:03 Rivals' Transfer Spending
34:34 Season Outlook
37:19 Season Ticket Controversy
44:15 Football's Financial Landscape
49:09 Kit Chat and Wrap-up

If you are interested in supporting the show and accessing a weekly exclusive bonus episode, check out our Patreon page or subscribe on Apple Podcasts. Supporter funded episodes are ad-free. NQAT is available on all podcast apps and in video on YouTube. Hit that subscribe button, leave a rating and write a review on Apple or Spotify.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices